UK - ‘Walkaway Wives’ Phenomenon

The rise of “walkaway wives” is a phenomenon that everyone from statisticians to lawyers has noticed.

In recent years, around 63 percent of divorce petitions have been filed by wives, according to Stowe Family Law, and research released late last year by NOON for Mishcon de Reya and Julius Baer International found that nearly 56 percent of midlife women would end a marriage simply because they felt unhappy.

The survey of 2,000 midlife women also revealed some other significant insights. While almost a quarter said affairs were the reason for marriage breakdowns, just as many cited falling out of love as the cause.

A key factor driving this, says Karen Ruimy, is the fact that marriage is in many ways “outdated.” For one, we’re living longer. While 50 years ago, average life expectancy in the UK was 72, today it’s 82. When you still have half a life ahead of you, people are increasingly asking themselves how they want to live it. The dominance and division which characterize so much of modern life are also vital to understanding the walkaway wife phenomenon.

“Most marriages are more beneficial for men because women are only allowed the freedom of self-expression once everything is done in the home,” says Ruimy. “And there is often very little space for that because the caring role is so demanding.”

-www.the-independent.com, 30 April 2026

Commentary: The modern way of life has made it easier for women especially to forego marriage and children, with much of the workforce being female. And now a new trend has arisen: “walkaway wives.” Key reasons given for these women obtaining a divorce include being unhappy and falling out of love. Other factors include a longer lifespan and wanting freedom of self-expression.

When the Pharisees asked Jesus if it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any cause, He said: “What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder ... Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so” (Matthew 19:6b, 8). Modern sensibilities don’t change the fact that God does not condone divorce except in the case of adultery.

(See What Does the Bible Say About Marriage? Item #1076, $2.50.)